Live for the LORD and see what He will do!

 "During the American Civil War, a certain man had a son who enlisted in the Union army. 

The father was a banker, and although he gave his consent to his son, it seemed as if it would break his heart to let him go.

Once his son had left, he became deeply interested in the plight of soldiers, and whenever he saw one in uniform, his heart went out to him as he thought of his own dear boy. 

Often to the neglect of his business, he began spending his time and money to care for the soldiers who came home disabled.  

His friends pleaded with him not to neglect his business in this way, by spending so much time and energy on the soldiers.  So he decided to give it all up, taking his friends' advice.

After he had made this decision, however, a young private in a faded, worn uniform stepped into the bank. It was easy to discern from the wounds on his face and hands that he had been in the army field hospital.  

The poor young man was fumbling in his pocket to find something, when the banker saw him.  Perceiving his purpose for coming into the bank, he said to the soldier, 

"My dear man, I cannot help you today. I am extremely busy. You will have to go to the army headquarters, where the officers will take care of you."

The poor wounded soldier still stood there, not seeming to fully understand what was being said to him.  

He continued to fumble in his pockets and finally pulled out a scrap of dirty paper.  He laid the filthy page before the banker, who read the following words written in pencil:

Dear Father, 

      This is one of my friends, who was wounded in the last battle and is coming to you directly from the hospital.  Please receive him as you would me.

Charlie

All the banker's previous resolve to focus solely on his business instead of soldiers quickly flew away.  

He took the young man to his own magnificent home and gave him Charlie's room and seat at the dinner table. 

He cared for him until the food, rest, and love had returned him to health, and then sent him back to his place of service to again risk his life for his country's flag."

-unknown 

*

...“Now you shall see what I will do"...

Exodus 6:1b 

*

John 16:23-33

..."In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full.

“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I will request of the Father on your behalf; for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came forth from the Father.  I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again and going to the Father.”

His disciples *said, “Lo, now You are speaking plainly and are not using a figure of speech. Now we know that You know all things, and have no need for anyone to question You; by this we believe that You came from God.”

Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”...

*

Fixing our eyes on Jesus

When all our hopes are gone,

It is best our hands keep toiling on

For others' sake:

For strength to bear is found in duty done;

And he is best indeed who learns to make

The joy of others cure his own heartache.
 

-unknown

*

Hebrews 12:1-2

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

*

My soul pants for You, O God

-Glenn's photo

*

"Stand firmly in the place where your dear Lord has put you, and do your best there. 

God sends us trials or tests, and places life before us as a face-to-face opponent.  

It is through the pounding of a serious conflict that he expects us to grow strong. 

The tree planted where the fierce winds twists its branches and bend its trunk, often nearly to the point of breaking, is commonly more firmly rooted than a tree growing in a secluded valley where storms never bring any stress or strain.

The same is true of human life. The strongest and greatest character is grown through hardship."

-unknown

Psalm 42:1-8

"As the deer pants for the water brooks,


So my soul pants for You, O God.


My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;


When shall I come and appear before God?


My tears have been my food day and night,


While they say to me all day long, 

“Where is your God?”


These things I remember 

and I pour out my soul within me.


For I used to go along with the throng 

and lead them in procession to the house of God,


With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, 

a multitude keeping festival.

Why are you in despair, O my soul?


And why have you become disturbed within me?


Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him


For the help of His presence.


O my God, my soul is in despair within me;


Therefore I remember You 

from the land of the Jordan


And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.


Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;

All Your breakers and Your waves 

have rolled over me.


The Lord will command His lovingkindness 

in the daytime;


And His song will be with me in the night,


A prayer to the God of my life."...

*

The LORD carries those who trust in Him

 -Air Force Museum, Dayton Ohio -over flight

*

Oh, every year has its winter,

   And every year has its rain---

But a day is always coming

   When the birds go north again.

When new leaves sprout in the forest,

   And grass springs green on the plain,

And tulips boast their blossoms---

   And the birds go north again.

Oh, every heart has its sorrow,

   And every heart has its pain---

But a day is always coming

   When the birds go north again.

It's the sweetest thing to remember,

   If your courage starts to wane,

When the cold, dark days are over---

   That the birds go north again.

-unknown

*

Isaiah 30:18

..."Therefore the Lord longs 

to be gracious to you,

And therefore He waits on high 

to have compassion on you.

For the Lord is a God of justice;

How blessed are all those 

who long for Him."...

*

Proud and Thankful

-PLUGGERS 

*

Veteran's Day 2025

-Kinsman

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I am grateful for all who have served America to keep us free.

Thank you :o)

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Sleeping

 -PLUGGERS

*

"Therefore we do not lose heart..."

-card

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2 Corinthians 4:16-18

..."Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."...

*

 

Beautiful Foliage: the Comfort and Love of God

-Scotland/not Ireland! FB

Dunnottar Castle 

*

"The greenest grass is found wherever the most rain falls.  So I suppose it is the fog and mist of Ireland that makes it "the Emerald Isle." 

And wherever you find the widespread "fog of trouble and the mist of sorrow", you always find emerald green hearts that are full of the beautiful foliage of the comfort and love of God.

   

Dear Christian, do not say, 

"Where are all the swallows? They are all gone---they are dead."  

No, they simply skimmed across the deep, blue sea, flying to a faraway land; but they will be back again soon.

Child of God, do not say, 

"All the flowers are dead---the winter has killed them, so they are gone."  

No! Although the winter has covered them with a white coat of snow, they will push up their heads again and will be alive very soon.

O believer, do not say the sun has burned out, just because a cloud has hidden it.

No. it is still there, planning a summer for you; for when it shines again, it will have caused those clouds to have dropped their April showers, each of them a mother to a sweet mayflower.

Above all, remember---when God hides His face from you, do not say that He has forgotten you. He is simply waiting for a little while to make you love Him more. And once He comes, you will rejoice with inexpressible "joy of the LORD". 

Waiting on Him exercises your gift of grace and tests your faith. 

Therefore continue to wait in hope, for although the promise may linger, it will never come too late."

---Charles H. Spurgeon  

*

Nehemiah 8:7b-12

[they all]..."explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place. 

They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

Then Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, 

“This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” 

For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

Then he said to them, 

“Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. 

Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, 

“Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” 

All the people went away to eat, to drink, to send portions and to celebrate a great festival, because they understood the words which had been made known to them."

*

Kindness and Compassion

 -posted on FB by Emily Rosa 10/21/25  The Power of Compassion: A Soldier’s Promise in the Aftermath of War

*

"The summer of 1944 left Normandy in ashes — villages ruined, families gone, hope fading. Amid the wreckage, an American soldier found a little girl sitting silently beside her parents’ bodies.

She didn’t move when he knelt beside her. Only when he reached into his pocket and offered a small chocolate bar did she look up. Then, through trembling sobs, she whispered, “Don’t leave me.”

He didn’t. He carried her to safety — and when the war ended, he found a way to make her his daughter.

Years later, she said, “My life began with a hug on a battlefield.”

In a world torn apart by hate, it wasn’t war that saved her — it was compassion.

The story of the soldier and the little girl is a powerful reminder that, in a divided world, it is love and care that can heal the deepest wounds..."

--------------

"...This act of kindness was not just a momentary gesture; it was the beginning of a new chapter in both their lives. The soldier became a protector, a father figure, and the little girl, though devastated and broken, became a daughter to him.

The bond that formed between them that day transcended the boundaries of war. It was a bond of humanity, of compassion, and of love that would grow over time...."

*

Rest and Wait Patiently in the LORD

-a friend's beautiful quilt 

*

If God says no to our prayer, dear heart,

And the clouds hang heavy and dull and gray;

If the rough rocks hinder and block the way,

While the sharp winds pierce us and sting with cold;

Yet, dear, there is home at the journey's end,

And these are the trials the Father does send

To draw us as sheep to His Heavenly fold,

If God says no to our prayers, dear heart.

-unknown

*

Psalm 37:7-11

..."Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;

Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,

Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.

Cease from anger and forsake wrath;

Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.

For evildoers will be cut off,

But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.

Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;

And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.

But the humble will inherit the land

And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity."...

*

My One Power Tool

 -internet T-shirt

*

Blessed are you if you trust the LORD

-on the northern Mississippi

*

When the frosts are in the valley,

   And the mountaintops are gray,

And the choicest blooms are blighted,

   And the blossoms die away,

A loving Father whispers,

   "This all comes from my hand";

Blessed are you if you trust

   When you cannot understand.

If, after years of toiling,

   Your wealth should fly away

And leave your hands all empty,

   And your hair is turning gray,

Remember then your Father

   Owns all the sea and land;

Blessed are you if you trust

   When you cannot understand.

-Unknown

*

He was in the Beginning with God

meme

*

John 1

..."The Light shines in the darkness"...
 *

Pumpkin Kitties!

-Meme

*
 

Sad will be the Day

-Meme

*
 

Yes, from my Precious Scottish Grandmother, Milly, and from my Sweet Mary Nell.

-PLUGGERS

* 

..."Why must I go about mourning?"...

-Rural Skyscraper hidden in the Woods

* 

" Why..." Psalm 42:9

"Dear Believer, can you answer the above question? 

Can you find any reason why you are so often mourning instead of rejoicing? 

Why do you allow your mind to dwell on gloomy thoughts? 

Who told you that night will never end in day?

Who told you that the winter of your discontent 

would continue from frost to frost and from snow, ice, and hail to even deeper snow and stronger storms of despair?

Don't you know that day dawns after night, showers displace drought, and spring and summer follow winter?

Then, have hope!

Hope forever, for God will not fail you!

-Charles H. Spurgeon

*

Psalm 8

O Lord, our Lord,


How majestic is Your name in all the earth,


Who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!


From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,


The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;


What is man that You take thought of him,


And the son of man that You care for him?


Yet You have made him a little lower than God,


And You crown him with glory and majesty!


You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;


You have put all things under his feet,


All sheep and oxen,


And also the beasts of the field,


The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,


Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,


How majestic is Your name in all the earth!

*

Christian, you are not alone!

"When God places a burden upon you, 

He places His arms underneath you." 

-unknown

*

"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."

 -T-shirt on line

*

Ephesians 5:1-16

"Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

Therefore do not be partners with them.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. 

Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

11. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.

This is why it is said:

“Wake up, sleeper,
    

rise from the dead,
    

and Christ will shine on you.”

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."...

*

Quote from my father: "Spiders are my friends!"

-meme

*

Now remember...spiders of all kinds were created by the Lord...so respect them as you "remove" them from your house.

:o)
 

"We live by faith, not be sight."

-Beautiful Garden in N. IA.

*

When darkness veils His lovely face

I rest on His unchanging grace;

In every strong and stormy gale,

My anchor holds within the veil.

*-Edward Mote: My Hope is Built on Nothing Else

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

"For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked.

For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life.

Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."...

*

My Choicest Wreaths are Always Wet with Tears

-Rural Iowa

*
 Come with Me by yourselves and rest awhile,

   I know you're weary of the stress and throng,

Wipe from your brow the sweat and dust of toil,

   And in My quiet strength again be strong.

Come now aside from all the world holds dear,

   For fellowship the world has never known,

Alone with Me, and with My Father here,

With Me and with My Father, not alone.

Come, tell Me all that you have said and done.

   Your victories and failures, hopes, and fears.

I know how hardened hearts are wooed and won;

   My choicest wreaths are always wet with tears.

Come now and rest; the journey is too great,

   And you will faint beside the way and sink;

The Bread of Life is here for you to eat,

   And here for you the wine of love to drink.

Then from fellowship with your Lord return,

   And work till daylight softens into even:

Those brief hours are not lost in which you learn

   More of your Master and His rest in Heaven.

-unknown

*

Life is full of "Why"?

A Gem of a Jewel

* 

-meme

*

A Republic Government

"In a republic, representatives are democratically elected, but then, those who are elected are expected to exercise their governing authority according to the established rule of law. 

Yet, many representatives are under the impression that they are supposed to test the current mood of the people and represent accordingly.

This mentality reduces the republican form of government to a virtual democracy. 

*The popular opinion of the people is unstable because the mood of the mob can be easily manipulated and can change from day to day, especially in our age of instant mass communication.*

In contrast, the rule of established law is not easily changed and provides stability.

This is why the founders chose a republic instead of a democracy as the American form of Government.

-Brad Sherman, Iowa Republican candidate for Governor, “Libation #114” 7/19/25 email. 

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Rural Sky Scraper: Grain Elevator

-midwest

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Reality in Real Life Strikes!

-non sequitur

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Cleaning the bathroom...

-internet meme

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Christian Families are Best for Culture

-eastern rural Iowa 

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"Stable natural families would be, by far, the best anti-poverty, anti-crime, and pro-education program. 

Thus, Christian sexual morality is integral to social justice because it protects and promotes family formation and flourishing. 

It is not an idiosyncratic or arbitrary religious decree or practice but, instead, is rooted in human nature and ordered toward our good and the good of those around us. 

Its truth and beauty are manifest in loving and enduring relationships, grounded on oaths sworn and upheld, rather than the fickle flux of day-to-day desires. 

This commitment provides a solid foundation for an enduring intimacy between man and wife."

-Nathanael Blake

*

What is the Cure?!

-internet meme 

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